This invention relates to sanitation in public restroom facilities, and specifically to improvements which enable users of such restroom facilities to avoid touching anything in the restroom after washing their hands.
Public restroom facilities are typically available to a wide variety of people who have been exposed to a correspondingly wide variety of environments, and wherein such people may have picked up toxins or pathogenic disease organisms, collectively referred to herein as xe2x80x9ccontaminants,xe2x80x9d in such environments. When such people use public restroom facilities, and correspondingly come into physical contact with certain surfaces in the restroom, such as for example and without limitation water closets and their controls, sinks, water faucets, paper dispensers, soap dispensers, and the like, there is a risk that such contaminants may transfer from the respective user to such surfaces, thus contaminating the respective surfaces.
Such contaminants can remain viable for a substantial time after being so deposited such that a subsequent user may touch the respective surface and pick up the still viable contaminants, and may thereafter become afflicted with a disease or other harmful medical condition associated with such contaminants.
As used herein, xe2x80x9cpublic restroom facilitiesxe2x80x9d means any restroom facility that is available to a group of users who do not otherwise personally reside together as a family unit. Such groups and environments include, for example and without limitation, places of employment, tourist and recreation facilities, government offices, facilities occupied by religious or other charitable organizations, military facilities, restaurants, and stores.
In order to reduce the incidence of harmful medical conditions associated with public restroom facilities, it has become common practice to regularly clean and disinfect such restroom facilities thereby to limit and control the amount of such contaminants which may be present in such public restroom facilities at any given time, based on the theory that reduced quantities of contaminants in the restroom results in less contaminant pick-up by users, and corresponding lower incidence of harmful medical effect. But however good such cleaning may be, the next user may again deposit such unwanted contaminants, which can then be picked up by subsequent users.
Thus, in order to effectively maintain strict sanitation of a restroom facility by way of maintaining the restroom in a clean condition, namely regularly removing contaminants which have been deposited, the restroom facility can only be used by one user at a time; and the restroom facility must be cleaned after each use, to remove whatever contaminants, if any, may have been deposited by that user. In addition, if strict sanitation is to be maintained, the cleaning process, itself, must be completely sanitary, such that the person doing the cleaning does not introduce contaminants during the cleaning of the restroom.
In any event, except for highly specialized uses, such high level of maintenance effort is prohibitively costly. Thus, while significant improvement has been made in sanitation of public restroom facilities by implementation of cleaning procedures, there is a practical limit to the degree to which spread of contaminants can be controlled by cleaning procedures in public restrooms, as the fact that such facilities are repeatedly used by users introduces a repeated influx of unwanted contaminants into the respective restroom facilities.
Further improvement in controlling spread of such contaminants, beyond cleaning steps, has been made by providing apparatus and structure in such restroom facilities which discourages users from coming into direct contact with surfaces which may have been contacted, and therefore contaminated, by previous users. In addition, such apparatus and structure also reduces the amount of contaminants deposited. Thus, supplies and equipment have been introduced whereby a user can choose to touch a minimum number of surfaces which may have been contaminated by previous users. For example and without limitation, water closets may be fitted with proximity sensors which sense the user approaching, and subsequently leaving, proximity of the water closet thereby to automatically flush the water closet. Water faucets may be correspondingly fitted with proximity sensors. Paper towels and air dryers may be provided for drying a user""s hands after washing.
While a variety of improvements have thus been made in preserving cleanliness of the restroom facility, and while a variety of supplies and machines have been provided for cleansing a user""s hands after use of e.g. water closet appliances, and avoiding touching surfaces in the restroom after the user""s hands have been cleansed, there remains one barrier between the newly-cleansed user and the outside world, namely the door to the restroom.
In most cases, a hinged door is used to close off visual access to the interior of the restroom. Such door typically swings into the restroom, and thus comprises a physical barrier to the user exiting the room. As each person leaves the restroom, he/she grasps a door handle or the like, and pulls the door open. In the process of so opening the door, he/she may deposit on the door handle any contaminants which may remain on his/her hands or any contaminants picked up in the restroom. In addition, he/she may pick up contaminants deposited on the door handle by a previous user. Thus, there remains the problem of contaminant transfer at the restroom door, typically through use of the door handle as the user exits the room.
As one solution to the problem of contamination at the door, such contamination and/or transfer of contaminants can be virtually eliminated by door construction. For example and without limitation, where enough space is available, the doorway can be designed and built so as to provide a turn in the entryway, so as to leave the doorway open but so oriented as to block visual access into the room from outside the room. In an alternate design, the door itself may be opened by an electric or other power device, automatically activated by a proximity or other sensor whereby the user need not touch the door in order for the door to open. However, as a practical matter, there remain a large number of doorways, existing and likely to be constructed in the future, which are in fact closed by a hinged door in the doorway, which door is opened by manual effort of the person exiting the restroom.
Thus, there is a need for efficient structure associated with manuallyoperated doors whereby a user can easily open the door without, in the process, risking the possibility of receiving contaminants from the door or risking depositing contaminants on the door.
It is thus an object of this invention to provide touchless door pull apparatus cooperatively configured such that a user can employ a hand tool, either a tool carried by the user or a sanitary hand tool acquired by the user in or proximate the restroom, to engage and manually pull open the door.
It is another object to provide on the door secondary door opening apparatus, optionally in addition to the regular door handle, whereby the user can manually open the door without touching the door.
It is yet another object to provide touchless door pull apparatus wherein a user engages a hand tool in a slot or other opening in the door, optionally in a pull base mounted on the door, thereby engaging an engagement element on the door with a cooperating engagement element on the hand tool, thus to pull open the door.
It is still another object to provide methods of manually pulling open a door by inserting a hand tool into an engagement opening in the door, engaging engagement structure on the hand tool with engagement structure associated with the opening, and pulling on the hand tool thereby to pull open the door.
The invention generally contemplates touchless door pull apparatus comprising an engagement slot on a door, and a cooperating hand tool. The engagement slot and the hand tool comprise first and second engagement elements cooperatively configured such that the second engagement element on the hand tool can be engaged with the respective first engagement element on the door, thus to temporarily couple the hand tool and the door to each other. The hand tool and the door remain coupled when the hand tool is pulled away from the door, whereby a user can pull on the so coupled hand tool and thereby open the door without touching the door.
The engagement slot can be structured in a door accessory which is mounted on the door, such as in a retro-fit application to an existing door. In the alternative, such accessory can be mounted on a newly-constructed door. Further, the engagement slot can be fabricated into, namely as part of, an element of the door structure.
More specifically, in a first family of embodiments, the invention comprehends touchless door pull apparatus, comprising a pull base for mounting on a door, in combination with a hand tool. The pull base comprises a first engagement element, which is ineffective as a pull handle for grasping with a hand of a user. The hand tool comprises a grasping end for being grasped by the user, and an engagement end. The engagement end comprises a second engagement element. The pull base and the hand tool, including the first and second engagement elements, are cooperatively configured such that the second engagement element on the hand tool can be engaged with the first engagement element on the pull base, thus to temporarily couple the hand tool and the pull base to each other, such that the hand tool can be pulled in a direction away from the pull base while the hand tool and the pull base remain temporarily coupled to each other. Thus, when the pull base is in secure association on a hinged door, away from an edge of the door bearing the hinges, the user can pull on the hand tool and thereby pull open the door without touching the door or the pull base.
In some embodiments, the pull base further comprises a rear, a front, an engagement slot associated with the front, and a first engagement portion defined in the first engagement element. The first engagement portion is disposed between the front and the rear, is associated with the engagement slot, and facilitates coupling the hand tool to the pull base. The hand tool further comprises a second engagement portion defined in the second engagement element.
In some embodiments, the rear of the pull base defines mounting structure, optionally a mounting surface, which facilitates mounting the pull base to a face of the door at a location displaced substantially from the hinge mounting edge of the door.
In some embodiments, the front of the pull base comprises first and second adjacent and cooperating front elements defining the slot therebetween, and the first engagement element is associated with the slot at at least one of the first and second front elements.
In some embodiments, the rear of the pull base defines an optionally imaginary surface corresponding to a surface of a door to which the touchless door pull apparatus is compatible with being mounted, the first engagement element having a first engagement surface thereof oriented transverse to, optionally perpendicular to, a line which line is perpendicular to such optionally imaginary surface.
In some but not all embodiments, the engagement slot extends from a top of the pull base to a bottom of the pull base.
In some preferred embodiments, the engagement slot at a first segment thereof is sufficiently wide to receive the second engagement portion of the hand tool behind the front of the pull base such that the second engagement element is between the first engagement element and the rear of the pull base, the engagement slot being relatively narrower at a second segment thereof so as to prevent lateral movement of the second engagement element from uncoupling the second engagement element from the first engagement element, the second engagement portion of the hand tool preferably being sized and configured to cooperatively engage the first engagement portion of the pull base at the second segment of the slot.
In some embodiments, the hand tool comprises a shaft having a first width, the slot defining a second width between opposing first and second frontwardly disposed sides thereof at the first engagement element, and a third greater width between third and fourth sides thereof disposed rearwardly of the first and second sides. The combination of the first, second, third, and fourth sides defines a portion of the slot at the second segment thereof wherein the third width is greater than the first width, the slot portion being geometrically compatible with receiving and concurrently engaging opposing portions of the second engagement element.
Preferably, the first engagement portion is located in a central portion of the pull base.
In some embodiments, the front defines a front surface of the pull base, the rear defines a rear surface of the pull base. The first engagement portion defines a first engagement surface extending transversely along a length of the slot rearwardly of the front surface and frontwardly of the rear surface.
In some embodiments, the pull base further comprises a rear, a front including a front surface, and an engagement opening extending through the front surface. The engagement opening is sized and configured to receive the second engagement element. A cavity is disposed rearwardly of, and laterally displaced to a first side of, optionally on opposing sides of, the engagement opening whereby the engagement end of the hand tool can be inserted into the engagement opening and laterally displaced toward engaging relationship with the first engagement element, optionally rotated toward engaging relationship with the first engagement element.
The engagement slot can extend from a relatively upwardly disposed location to a relatively downwardly disposed location.
In a second family of embodiments, the engagement slot is fabricated in the door such that the touchless door pull apparatus comprises a door having a hinged edge thereof, a door pull effective as a pull device for grasping with a hand of a user and opening the door, and a first engagement element ineffective as a pull device for grasping with the hand of the user and opening the door, the first engagement element being disposed away from the hinged edge of the door; and a hand tool comprising a grasping end for being grasped by the user, and an engagement end comprising a second engagement element. The pull base and the hand tool, including the first and second engagement elements, are cooperatively configured such that the second engagement element on the hand tool can be engaged with the first engagement element on the door, thus to temporarily couple the hand tool and the door to each other, such that the hand tool can be pulled in a direction away from the door while the hand tool and the door remain temporarily coupled to each other and such that the user can thereby pull on the hand tool and pull open the door without touching the door.
In some embodiments, the door further comprises a rear, a front, an engagement slot associated with the front, and a first engagement portion defined in the first engagement element. The first engagement portion is disposed between the front and the rear, is associated with the engagement slot, and facilitates coupling the hand tool to the door. The hand tool further comprises a second engagement portion defining the second engagement element.
In some embodiments, the front comprises first and second adjacent and cooperating front elements defining the slot therebetween, and the first engagement element is associated with the slot at at least one of the first and second front elements.
The engagement slot can extend from a relatively upwardly disposed location to a relatively downwardly disposed location.
In some embodiments, the engagement slot at a first segment thereof is sufficiently wide to receive the second engagement portion of the hand tool behind the front of the slot such that the second engagement element is between the first engagement element and the rear of the door, the engagement slot being relatively narrower at a second segment thereof so as to prevent lateral movement of the second engagement element from uncoupling the second engagement element from the first engagement element, the second engagement portion of the hand tool preferably being sized and configured to cooperatively engage the first engagement portion of the door at the second segment.
In some embodiments, the front defines a front surface of the door, the rear defines a rear surface of the door. The first engagement portion defines a first engagement surface extending transversely along a length of the slot rearwardly of the front surface and frontwardly of the rear surface.
In some embodiments, the hand tool comprises a shaft having a first width, the slot defining a second width between opposing first and second frontwardly-disposed sides thereof at the first engagement element, and a third greater width between third and fourth sides thereof disposed rearwardly of the first and second sides. The combination of the first, second, third, and fourth sides defines a portion of the slot at the second segment thereof wherein the third width is greater than the first width, the slot portion being geometrically compatible with receiving and concurrently engaging opposing portions of the second engagement element.
In some embodiments, the door further comprises a rear, a front including a front surface, and an engagement opening extending through the front surface. The engagement opening is sized and configured to receive the second engagement element. A cavity is disposed rearwardly, and laterally displaced to a first side of, optionally on opposing sides of, the engagement opening whereby the engagement end of the hand tool can be inserted into the engagement opening and laterally displaced toward engaging relationship with the first engagement element, optionally rotated toward engaging relationship with the first engagement element.
The invention further comprehends methods by which a person can pull open a door mounted on hinges, without such person touching the door. The method comprises defining on the door an engagement opening therein, the engagement opening comprising a rearwardly-facing first engagement surface associated with the engagement opening, the engagement opening being disposed away from a hinge-bearing edge of such door; inserting an engagement end of a hand tool into the engagement opening, the engaging end of the hand tool comprising a frontwardly-facing second engagement surface; temporarily coupling the second engagement surface of the hand tool with the first engagement surface of the engagement opening; and pulling the temporarily coupled hand tool in a direction away from the door and thereby pivoting the door about the hinges and correspondingly opening the door.
Preferably, the engagement opening is comprised in a pull base mounted to the door, and the method comprises inserting the engagement end of the hand tool into the engagement opening of the pull base and pulling the temporarily coupled hand tool in a direction away from the pull base and thereby opening the door.
The method preferably includes uncoupling and removing the hand tool from the door before the door is reclosed.
In some embodiments, the method includes moving the second engagement surface laterally into coupling relationship with the first engagement surface and subsequently pulling open the door.
In other embodiments, the method includes rotating the second engagement surface into coupling relationship with the first engagement surface and subsequently pulling open the door.